When will health care pass the orange-wire test?

Abstract

Imagine that a Boeing 757 aircraft engine contained an orange-coloured wire essential to its safe functioning. Imagine that an airline engineer doing a preflight inspection spotted that the wire was frayed in a way that suggested a systematic fault rather than routine wear and tear. Imagine what would happen next. It is likely that most 757 engines in the world would be inspected—probably within days—and the orange wire, if faulty, renewed.